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Just yesterday the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new recommendations for the amount of Fluoride that should be in our drinking water. In 1962, the recommended range was set at 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter. Now it is being recommended that amount of Fluoride added to our drinking water be lowered to 0.7 milligrams, the lower end of the range.

The change is being made now, according to an administration official, because the current range is out of date. He said that in the 1960s, when fluoridating water began, air conditioning was much less common. So children in hotter regions drank more water and needed lower levels of fluoride to protect their teeth, while children in colder climates drank less water and needed higher levels.

“Now since air conditioning is so common,” the official said, “you don’t see those differences in consumption, and that’s why they’re getting rid of the range and recommending one level.”1

By their own logic, shouldn’t they be recommending the higher dose of Fluoride? But you see the problem is children and adults are now getting too much Fluoride from a variety of sources, not just drinking water. A child could get more than the recommended daily allowance just by swallowing too much of the wrong kind of toothpaste, but you will also find fluoride lurking in a variety of processed foods and beverages2.

Dentists are seeing an increase in Fluorosis, which causes permanent pitting and loss of enamel on teeth. Paul Connett, executive director of the Fluoride Action Network states that “Our kids are being overexposed. They are getting four times more fluoride than the original promoters of fluoridation intended.”3 Although the new levels have been sent to the Federal Register, it is likely the final verdict on the matter will not be expected until this spring. Even then, it is up to local agencies to regulate the levels they put into their drinking water.

The Environmental Working Group has been working on exposing the dangers of water Fluoridation since 2005, when it found that a Harvard professor conducting a fluoridation safety study had ignored research by Dr. Elise B. Bassin that had suggested that boys who drank fluoridated water were five times more likely to develop bone cancer than those who drank unfluoridated water. Besides being linked to bone cancer, exposure to Fluoride is also linked to neurotoxicity and disruption of thyroid function4. Could Fluoride also be linked to Fibromyalgia?

Many of the symptoms association with Skeletal Fluorosis are similiar to some of those associated with Fibromyalgia, including, sporadic pain, stiffness of joints, chronic joint pain, arthritic symptoms and limitation of joint movement5.

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Adrenal Dysfunction is listed as a possible cause of Fibromyalgia on the Environmental Illness Resource website in an article by Dr. Rodger Murphree. The adrenal glands tell the body when to release hormones that help us cope with stress. If your adrenals are not working properly, your body is unable to cope with stress and this could trigger a Fibromyalgia flare.1
Special adrenal support supplements are available to help you restore proper adrenal function to your body. I’ve started taking one and it has made a world of difference. After starting the adrenal supplement, I’ve managed to work three full weeks without having to take a sick day due to a flare-up! It isn’t enough just to take the supplement though, you also need to learn how to better cope with stress. I’m currently reading a few books about coping with stress and I’ve also made an appointment for counseling. Maybe I can learn how to say no to people.

For more information read Dr. Rodger Murphree’s book, Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Dr. Murphree recommends various supplements and sells them on his website. You should consult with your doctor before using any supplements. The adrenal support that I am on is formulated by my doctor and sold at his office. I have not tried any of Dr. Murphee’s supplements, and therefore do not endorse them.

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I went to the health foods store today searching for some natural pain relief for my fibro flare-up, but left too scared to try anything new. I am scared of making the pain worse, so I’m doing some research tonight. From what I read last night, it is best to talk to your doctor and develop an emergency treatment plan for times when you have a flare. I really don’t want any prescription meds; I just spent the summer getting off of some nasty medications. Here are some articles I’m looking at to put together a treatment plan that is right for me.

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Finally the results are in from my Celiac blood panel and they show that I do not have Celiac Disease. The doctor says that this doesn’t mean I should start eating glutinous foods again since I have shown so much improvement healthwise following a g-free diet. However, my blood work did show that I have a Vitamin D Deficiency, so much so that my endocriniologist is putting me on Calcitriol to help raise my levels more quickly.

When I was first diagnosed with Fibromyalgia my Endocrinologist checked my vitamin D levels at that time. They were low then, but not worrisome enough I guess to put me on prescription medication. This was also about two years ago when a lab gave faulty lab results to doctors1.

Vitamin D deficiency is now being linked to Fibromyalgia, which imitates osteomalacia that is caused by Vitamin D deficiency2. It is no surprise that Celiac patients become deficient in many nutrients, including Vitamin D due to malabsorption issues. But what came first, the chicken or the egg? Does vitamin D deficiency cause Celiac or vice versa?3 Hopefully by following a gluten-free diet and taking my new Vitamin D supplements my fibro flares will be few and far between.